Boat



July 11, 1961 E. L. LE CRON, sR 2,991,488

BOAT

Filed March 27, 1959 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Eugene L. Le Cronfi;

July 11, 1961 Filed March 27, 1959 E. L. LE CRON, SR

BOAT

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Eugene L. Le Crcm ATTORNEY 5' BOAT Eugene L. Le Cron, Sr., 1625 New Orleans, La. Filed Mar. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 802,438

Lesseps St.,

Claims. (Cl. 9-1) The present invention relates to a boat and has for its primary object and purpose to provide a round boat to meet the requirements of a'safe, comfortable, spacious, easily manageable, moderate speed, all-purpose family pleasure boat. a

The invention has for a further object to provide in a safe boat a simple hull construction madevpossible by locating an outboard motor on the circumference of the round hull and providing a combination of circular table and circular seating arrangement disposed thereabout which will serve to keep 'the passengers uniformly and comfortably spaced on seats around the interior periphery of the boat.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing in a safe boat detachable outboard toilet facilities and a detachable outboard support for a barbecue furnace or other types of portable cook stoves.

. The invention has for a still further object to provide a pointed bow added to the completed round hull diametrically opposite the mount for the outboard motor, all. for purposes which will be hereinafter explained as .to constructional detail, function and advantage;

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the in- .vention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended I hereto.-

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refere to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse secitional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a verticalcross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE v1; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the, release of detent pin and the partial withdrawal 'of the spindle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates substantially vertical curved. inner hull plates and 11 represents inclined outer hull plates, which plates- 10v and ll are continued in concentric circles to constitute 'the hull of the round boat and 12 designates top horizontal hull plates also curved to conform to the curvature of the'plates 10 and 11 over which such ho1izontal plates 12. are placed, enclosing betweenthe plates 10,11 and 12 a'circular air space 13.

' As shown most clearly in FIGURE 4, the lower ends of the outer circular plates 11 converge downwardly to meet the lower ends of the vertical inner plates 10, the same being welded together and to the outer portion of the bottom hull plate 14. As shown in FIGURE 2, this bottom hull" plate 14 is preferably in the form of an inverted cone of rather small altitude and wide base which coincides with the circular convergent line between the lower ends of the plates 10 and 11.

In FIGURE 2 a keel 15 is illustrated as extending "downwardly from the rear portion of the bottom hull plate '14 along the longitudinal center or diametric line of the boat. At the inverted apex of the conical bottom 2,991,488 Patented July 11,

hull plate 14 is preferably located a hull bottom drain plug 16.

Wood or other sills 11 are supported upon the bottom hull plate 14 on which are laid a wood or other floor 18. Erected upon this floor or upon other structure of the boat is a substantially vertical pipe stand 19 co these risers are spaced substantially inwardly from; the

vertical inner hull plates 10ito provide between these two parts underseat storage compartments 36 to which access may be readily had by loose wood seats 22 supported upon the risers 211 and upon seat support strips'23 affixed to the vertical inner hull plates 10. Steel rod canopy stanchions 24 are mounted in suit able, number, for instance, four, about the round hull and are alfixed thereto in any desired manner for supporting an arched canvas canopy 25 which is reinforced by a smaller oak or other arch 26. One or more small tie rods 27 may be attached between the stanchions 24 and such tie rods preferably include turnbuckles 2.8 for drawing the same taut.

A detachable toilet booth or blister 29 with curtain enclosure may be mounted outboard of the hull, preferably at the point indicated in FIGURE 1, and a detachable galley or blister 30 for a cook stove is mounted outboard of the hull at another convenient point,'as shown in FIGURE 1.

Stretched across the front portion of the hull is tachable canvas splash and spray curtain 31.

Propulsion is provided preferably by an outboard motor 32 having a motor detachable mount 33 adapted to hook over a boat rail 34- adjacent the pilots'compartment 35 and extending across a motor mount well 48 at the outer periphery of the hull so that the outboard ade- .motor is carried outboard of the round hull.

A metal, water-tight bow 37 is aflixed to the round hull preferably diametrically opposite the outboard motor ,mount and. comprises a diving deck 38, forwardlysconhull plates 12 are provided with low, small-pipe railings A rope hitch or automobile trailer hitch 46 is attached to the front of the bow and running gear wheels 47 are mounted detachably to the hull. The running gear is made up of wheels 47, bearings, spindles, shafts and tires as commonly used for trailers. The running gear is detachably mounted to the open ends of a hollow square shaft 49 that is mounted through the hull at a low point. The stub spindles 50 carried by the running gear are also square and slidefreely in and out of the open endsof the square hollow shaft 49. Stationary stop. pins 51 through end portions of the square hollow shaft 49 determine the degree of entry and consequently bearing of the stub spindles 50 within the square hollow shaft 49. Removable detent pins 52 are adapted to pass through registering holes 56 and 57 inthe end portions of the ,hollow square shaft 49 and through holes 58 in the stub spindles series of circular side hull plates and 11 may be rein-v forced by radial plates 55 located at suitable intervals around the circle of the round hull section: the plates 55 being welded to the hull plates 10 and 11 by outside welds made possible by both the inside and outside plates 10, '11 beingbent. See FIGURE 3.

In use, the stationary circular table 20 at the center of theround hull section, in addition to its use as a table, serves to keep the passengers uniformly and comfortably spaced on seats around the interior periphery of the round h'ull section, and of extreme importance, the operator or pilot of such boat'is constantly in the same position apart from and not hampered by any activities of the passengers.

The bow, being diametrically opposite the motor mount well 48, serves to counterbalance the weight of the outboard motor 32 as well as providing a diving deck 38 for swimming parties. This bow 37 will also reduce resistance to progress through the water and give better response to the rudder. The interior of the bow will provide fuel tank space and light storage.

An additional built-in feature of the boat is the running gear and trailer hitch for transporting the boat over highways and city streets to the launching site. The wheels 47 have pneumatic tires and are detachable, if desired, when the boat is afloat to eliminate resistance. The trailer hitch 46 is attached to the bow stem at the bottom.

The boat contemplates a convas or other canopy 25 supported bythe stanchions 24 which are attached to the round hull, such canopy providing protection against sun and rain. The canvas spray and splash curtain 31 may also be attached to the stanchions 24.

The substantially V-formation cross-sectionally through the hull plates 10, 11, 12, when traversing the circle, provides an" extremely strong structure, particularly when united with the bottom hull plate 14, as by welding or otherwise.

In FIGURE 4 the bottom plate 42 of the bow section 37 is shown to be in alignment with the front portion of the bottom hull plate 14 and it may also be united by welding or otherwise both to the bottom plate 14 and to the inner and outer hull plates 10, 11.

A boat such as constructed in accordance with the present invention will have a high degree of sea worthiness, stability and a high safety factor in addition to providing ample quarters for the passengers in a comfortable seating arrangement. The arrangement of the fixed table and benches have a guiding function on the passengers to take up a safe and comfortable seating position and arrangement. i

Such a boat is managed with facility by the pilot who occupies a position where his view ofsurroundings is clear at all times.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a boat, asubstantially round main hull section comprising substantially vertical arcuate inner side hull I plates joined together circularly, outer arcuate side hull plates joined circularly, said inner and outer side plates aifixed together at their lower ends and diverging upwardl-y, top arcuate substantially horizontal "hull plates connected between the upper divergent ends of the inner and outer side plates, a bottom plate of inverted cone shape with a circular edge aflixed to the lower convergent ends of the inner and outer side plates, a floor within the round hull section supported from the bottom plate, a substant-ially circular table supportedfrom the floor at a subs'tantiallycentralpoint with respect to the round hull section, circular seats around the inside, oi the round hull sectionarr'anged below the plane of the table and spaced outwardly from the outer edge of the circular table, a bow section projecting radially from the round 1.11111 seethe 'at ial aaa a- 51? wa e oun Q11 r fl hcry of the round hull section diametrically opposite the bow section.

2. In a boat, a substantially round main hull section comprising substantially vertical arcuate inner side hull plates, outer arcuate side hull plates, means for joining said inner and outer arcuate plates together circularly including substantially radial plates connecting the inner and outer side plates, said outer side plates inclining upwardly and outwardly from their lower ends, top arcuate hull plates connected between the upper divergent ends of the inner and outer side plates, a bottom plate having a circular edge ajfixed to the lower convergent ends of the inner and outer side plates, a floor within the round hull section supported from the bottom plate, a substantially circular table supported from the floor at a substantially central point with respect to the round hull section, circular seats around the inside of the round hull section arranged below the plane of the table and spaced outwardly from the outer edge of the circular table, a bow section projecting substantially radially from the round hull section and aifixed thereto, and a motor mount on the periphery of the round hull section substantially diametrically opposite the bow section.

3. In a boat, a substantially round main hull section comprising arcuate inner and outer side hull plates assembled together in circular form with divergent upper ends and convergent lower ends, top arcuate substantially horizontal hull plates assembled'czircularly and connected between the'upper divergent ends of the inner and outer side plates, a bottom plate of inverted cone shape of small altitude and having a base of a diameter substantially that of the diameter of the convergent lower ends of the inner and outer side hull plates to which convergent ends the outer edge ofsaid bottom hull plate is afiixed, a floor within the round hull section supported from and close to the bottom plate, a substantially circular table supported from the floor at a substantially central point with respect to the round hull section, circular seats around the inside of the round hull section, a bow section projecting from the round hull section and aflixed thereto, and a motor mount on the periphery of the round hull section diametrically opposite the bow section.

4. In a boat, a substantially round main hull section comprising a bottom plate of inverted conicalform of small altitude having a substantially circular edge, inner and outer arcuate side plates converging at their lower ends which are seated upon and afiixed to the bottom plate approximate the outer circular edge thereof, spaced sills mounted on the upper concave side of the bottom plate, said sills being progressively deeper vertically from the outer circular edge of the bottom plate toward the lowermost center of said bottom plate, a substantially horizontal floor supported on said sills and having a sub stantially circular outer edge fitted to the inner side plates in spaced relation to outer portions of the bottom plate, circular seating within the round hull section, a bow section afiixed to and projecting from the round hull section, and a motor mount on the periphery of the round hull section displaced approximately deegrees from the radial center line of the bow section.

5. A boat as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a hollow shaft extending substantially centrally through the space between the two central sills and extending through the inner and outer plates for reinforcing the truss structure formed by the bottom plate, the floor and sills, and wheel mounts having stub spindles for remov; able entry into the, outwardly exposed ends of the. tubular shaft.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wiemer Mar. 21, 1.899

.(Other references on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Rundquist Jan. 12, 1943 Mercer et a1. July 18, 1950 Anderson Dec. 19, 1950 Duncan Jan. 8, 1952 Clark Jan. 29, 1952 Grimston June 17, 1952 2,674,753 Wood Apr. 13, 1954 2,826,163 King Mar. 11, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, issue of July 1947, page 88 relied on.

Popular Mechanics, issue of August 1957, page 112 relied on. 

